Luminaires or light fixtures for use with fluorescent bulbs have been in use for many years. Luminaires typically have rectangular box-like bodies which are adapted to be mounted in ceilings. The luminaire is generally provided with some type of reflectors positioned longitudinally behind or alongside of the fluorescent bulb to reflect light outwardly from the luminaire into the area desired to be lit.
Recently, energy conservation and efficiency of luminaires has been improved by the use of reflectors formed of specular material, such as silver or aluminum. These materials reflect light with greater precision than previous materials and permit the lighting engineer to control the manner in which the light is reflected.
State of the art luminaires are currently custom manufactured to meet luminosity criteria desired for the installation site. To ensure the installation of the most suitable lighting fixtures, on-site measurements are taken, appropriate reflector designs are chosen, and the reflector material, usually in the form of sheet metal, is bent or molded into reflectors composed of many precise angles at which the light is to be reflected without causing unsightly overlap with the resultant beams of light. Such a procedure is time consuming and expensive. If the measurements are not carefully taken, it may be necessary to rebuild the luminaire or to make other adjustments which lead to diminution of the efficiency of the energy utilized.
It is also known to provide a luminaire with movable reflectors which may be positioned to change the physical dimensions of the light column produced by the light fixture, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,403 to Strawick.
It is also known as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,253 to provide a luminaire having a plurality of movable slats or reflectors positioned outwardly from fluorescent bulbs. The reflectors are movable together like a Venetian blind to simulate natural light coming through a Venetian blind. However, none of these devices provide the necessary adjustments to increase energy efficiency and energy conservation.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,427 and 6,076,943 and Applicant's co-pending application Ser. No. 09/383,311 disclose various types of luminaires having adjustable reflectors mounted above and to the sides of the bulb. This allows adjustment of the reflected light pattern projected by the luminaire. Obviously, these adjustable reflectors must be supported in some manner. Generally, the reflectors are supported therein by interconnecting the ends of the reflector with some type of rotational support. Interconnection between the support and the end of each reflector may be made using a connector such as a screw or bolt. However, these types of connectors are labor intensive. Therefore, there remains a need for a quick connect type connector for this application.